I have had two sets of NP Horizons and been really happy with them. If I got another bike would probably go down that route and had the same experience as mentioned above that their own cleats can work better as offer better release angle too.

I can get the appeal of the Hope, beautifully made, great support but was worried that they have dropped the odd product (Cassette for example) and then you’re a bit stuck.

Depending on how long before I look at another bike might consider it then but the price difference is hard to justify for me.

James

I went around this loop a couple of years back and ended up on Komoot with a map upgrade, I think mine was around £20.

It is good but it does use the free sourced map (just like everyone else) and hence in my local area does throw the odd wrongly classified footpath into a route if you let it auto complete something.

I tend to split screen Komoot and my local authority master map of paths / bridleways to make any plans and it works spiffingly!

I certainly haven’t found anything better, and after a couple of years for £20 think it is a bargain too!

I tried the premium, which is for multi day tour planning (you dont need it just plan four routes, for four days ;), weather (not worth it), cycle specific map (It wasn’t that much different when it first came out but might be different now).

James

I got the email at 8.58 this morning :/ no chance to win when the draw was the day before, unless STW has mastered time travel?

This is so on point! Thank you for the smiles .. before it’s my time to do so.

James

Slightly off topic here but I used to use the Ergons with the flat palm bits on my long distance MTB and never had that issue but then I don’t throw myself down gnarr as I ride long distance stuff :)

However I recently went over to the SqLab grips, bit more like the round shape but have a really interesting profile and compound that you can adjust to get comfortable.

Like you I suffer with wrist pain and these have really helped me, just a thought for you.

James

Got me yesterday, post a ride felt like I’d ridden 200 miles on mtb not 40 and low and behold cough, hot and cold shuffle and a positive test. Oh well .. had done well to avoid it for so long I guess.

Another Yeti user hrte, awesome but of kut and the magnetic slider lid is clever, not leakproof though.

I’ve done a winter on a Barzo front and Mezcal rear, sliptastic! But there are better winter combos, but I think we have a habit to over tyre when we possibly don’t need to. MY winter last year was Dissector x 2 and that worked well.

I think wet and green chalk is the slippiest surface known to man and think it would make a good replacement for ceramic bearings LOL

Good luck on the ride, its a cracker.

James

I’ve done lots of SDW and recently did KAW and I’m running mezcal mezcal and both TNT and have had no issues at all since I put them on .. runs to touch large wooden desk to appease puncture gods :)

If, big IF, you get good weather you will fly along and should it shower or even chuck it down mezcals will keep you safe.

Got caught in a torrential hail storm ten days ago on SDW and Ridgeway and survived – even on the wet chalk!

James

Not got mine yet :(

Thanks for all the kind views so far, interesting comments re feet size, I’ve already experienced that first hand as I’m normally a 44eu but ended up with a 46eu on my Mavics.

Interesting to see the people in the Shimano MW as my mate has a pair and complains that they get wet inside and take ages to dry, just a bad pair on his part or have you experienced that?

I’m ideally looking for warm, dry and toasty feet each ride, as that is what I have got used to without having to add in overshoes etc.

Loving the comments re needing winter boots next week as ironically I did KAW last week and had them on two days in the torrential rain LOL Thanks English weather.

James

OK Quick update for those that asked.

Day one of KAW done – Farnham was my starting point to just north of Winchester 68 ish miles, 6000′ of climbing and all done – weather wasn’t kind late in the day and tomorrow doesn’t look good but heh ho.

Trails were glorious, first ride for me for around 50% of it, sand around Farnham makes it hard going but heh ho, stopped for coffee at Hindhead cafe and lunch at QE Country Park.

Took a view to start in Farnham as in day one you get the biggest hills out the way and so far so good.

Another vote for the POC here, bit spendy but having tried various Spesh and Giro it just fitted my noggin well and was super comfy.

They vary alot even in the same name for various tech bits so shop around.

James

Today my answer would be SDW in two days, but ask me the end of next week as my current training rides are 70+ miles 6000’+ and have been bloody hard.

But .. next week I am off to do KAW so 220 miles and planning 4 days to keep it to ‘just2 55 – 65 miles a day and a fair few hills :/

Like many others above I think it is all relative, 5 years ago I rode 20 miles and was knackered and now I’m a little more motivated, doing it for charity, and it is personal motivation is much much higher.

James

73 miles, all offroad, around 6100′ of climbing and fairly often recently as i get ready for a big multi day charity ride.

Why do you ask?

James

Weecog do a dropper specific and IIRC there is STW members discount too.

Had one for many, many years and it gets covered in shite and just keeps on going.

James

I’m a big fan of the Nukeproof horizon spd as they have a big platform you can pedal on not clipped in and clips too, but we’re all different :/

James

I bought some Rad8 glasses, think you might even get a discount as a STW member, but that might be my recall or just the time I bought.

Do various, fit as well as Oakleys if not better (all faces being different) but much cheaper so helps bike fun and excellent optics and tintyness.

Had cause to contact them at one stage and couldn’t have been more helpful but would say the same for Oakley too as I had their glasses previously to the Rad8’s.

James

Use them all the time in riding and just ordinary seeing glasses and not had any issues with latency to change while riding, perhaps its because I don’t ride at warp speed but heh we’re all different.

Interesting to note that my non Oakleys changed faster than my previous (and more expensive Oakleys!) & a huge pointer towards the rad8 specs.

James

Thanks all for the kind replies and ideas and if nothing else it makes me feel a lot better with so many of you thinking I’m on the right track.

Happy to write it up @weeksy and will do so for you.

I am planning to start in a non traditional Farnham, as day one days the most hills out the way with the finish the other side of Winchester hence breaking the back of it early and then every day is less and less height which worries me less than the repetitive nature of day after day.

For me height i seem ok with 5500′ climbing in a day no worries, so my plan from reading your kind ideas.

1) More back to back to back rides – so up to three hard days, which I can plan for and that should get me around 150-180 miles and if I can do that a bit then the adrenaline or need for coffee should get me to the end. Thanks @Twodogs for your input there.
2) Food wise I’m good on carb drink, gels, if I am lucky coconut / cherry flapjack (food of champions) and a meal with good food pre and post ride to keep recovery up. I’ve had to laugh at the Garmin telling me after one day I needed 4 days recovery so by day three of riding its been massively pissed at me but … it gets easier I am finding.
3) Logistics wise I am really lucky, a mate has volunteered to pit crew with a car, I live south of it so will possibly come home each end of day or might book odd hotel, not 100$% sure yet but should finalise that in the next couple of weeks.

With hindsight training since January has been bloody hard with crappy weather and trails but it has forced me to get my head into it, which has helped massively, and recently swapped to summer tyres once more (Mezcal / Mezcal) and that now makes it feel soooo much easier to pedal.

Aimed at end of May to not get cut to death by brambles, stung to death by nettles, or have to avoid too many school trips and walkers so here’s hoping that pans out :)

My sponsorship has gone well so far as I’ve been brutally honest on my justgiving page, with the odd video and I think people have invested in my pain and suffering, or perhaps invested to keep me in pain and suffering LOL I don’t care which as long as they sponsor me :)

People have been awesome with support, advice and more.

James

I can just see me ducking under a branch or tree and catching that peek = crunch or head trauma.

How about the great British horizontal rain? Will a higher peek keep it out of your face I wonder?

No thanks I’ll pass.

I’ve got a pair of evoc o so, they were a giftbutsuspect might be ££ but I’ve got 30mm 29″ 2.4 tyres and loads more space besides.

Beautifully made, space for axle storage inside, plastic hub protectors, good double entry zips.

If I ever lost them would replace with the same again.

Never tried a fat bike wheel in them but suspect would fit and I’m talking a 4.8″!

James

Oh my .. all of the article and above comments.

Agree with the first comment here, the only way to find a bean that YOU like is to try them, we went through 20+ different ones to find a good one for us and that was cool for around a year.

When our bean to cup died and we replaced it we just couldn’t get the coffee right and went around again ending up on cheap bean decaff from Sainsburys posh range :/ Heh ho at least its cheap now.

James

I work on a lot of documents and PowerPoint simultaneously and find one big screen split across both just as easy as two but it might be me :)

Let me give you another suggestion and to show history I am as blind as a bat so have always needed riding glasses, now variofocal and more so lots of experience.

Started with Oakleys well known, great optics and matching price tag – had a few pairs.

Most recently went to Rad8 often found around these parts, couldn’t be nicer people (yes real people you can talk to not just your optician or a website) and bent over backwards to help and equally good optics, fabulous customer service and LOTS cheaper than Oakley.

Plus must be hones felt great to give money to a small UK business as opposed to global mega corp.

Hope that helps as another view and someone else to check out.

James

Nope, I ride a 611 and shorts but then either a) I’m a soft arse (doubt it after 40 years riding) or b) I ride long (also possibly true).

New saddles, shorts or not, take time to adjust to so it might just have to be a grin and bear it for a good few rides .. or wear shorts ;)

James

I have an Epic evo, moving from a more trail bike and have had hardtail before.

The Epic Evo (EE) is a bit like a racey epic in baggy shorts and drinking coolaid :) I find it comfortable, two bottle cages, happy to ride it all day, still a laugh on most things and 120/120mm on the EE feels like that goldilocks kind of place.

BUT (intentionally big but) I thought I wanted a Spur, all the mags say its a good bike etc and one sit on it and .. didn’t like it.

If you can find one then definitely get a sit on whichever you go for but plenty of choice in that sort of grouping, if you can find the stock :/

Good luck with your hunt and if you have an EE questions feel free to drop me a message.

James

Like many others i started with the mtb but you run out of gears and the on / off faff is minor but overtime irritating.

Recently bought a racer from my local recycling bike place, felt good, then removed drops, brakes, shifters and installed mtb handlebar and ebayed two shifters.

James

Love it, great piece and a good outlook as well.

James

Thanks for sharing this. I’ve put a few quid in.

James

Played BETA on PC, maps were very big so on foot moving around felt like marathon running.

Graphics were slick and my pc is certainly not.

Have ordered and look forward to it.

Reminded me on BF4 which in my mind is a good thing.

James

I’m lucky to have set of nice SRAM Carbon MTB jobs (new to me but not new, thanks ebay) and a set of alu standard wheels and swap between both on my XC full sus.

For me the carbon wheels feel much lighter to ride on so spin up faster, less tiring over same distance whereas the metal ones feel like I had added super heavy, winter tyres – ironic as I add winter tyres to the metal wheels! Difference in wheel weight between the two is 700g and that I can feel.

Like many above I’d say that different wheels (carbon / alu) ride very differently and on my previous Giant I had their own brand wheelset which felt like they were made of superstiffium and hence not comfy (or particularly light) – the SRAM ones in comparison are like night and day different.

Like all things I guess pays your money and makes your choice. If I had the funds I’d go carbon on an XC bike but if I didn’t I would just ride what I had – riding is what matters.

James

Had mine a few weeks ago and like many no reaction or mutation ;)

James

Like many others here I would vote for everywhere but the funniest thing for me was that everywhere you went someone would talk to you about the bike.

Don’t get the same on a mountain bike for sure :)

James

Waiting expectantly

I went through this with new glasses last year, I had been using some photochromic Oakleys and whilst all good the Rad8’s a few others have mentioned were over £100 cheaper, and in my humble view, just as good.

I had to chat up front and address a post sale issue and the people in Rad8 were excellent and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

Use mine in blasting sun (once per year when we have it) and night rides all year around.

James

Surely it just comes down to if you like the ride, you gel and it gets you over, up or down what you enjoy it is all good – whatever the geometry chart says?

Isn’t it funny that some bikes you think you want, lust after or buy and you just don’t get on?

I was lucky enough to get my mitts on an Epic Evo recently and never a bike I thought I would get along with but after much agonising it is a fabulous bit of kit and feels “right” – makes such a difference I think.

Enjoy the bike and laugh at someone else’s wall.

James

The problem with the thinking, singletrackworld.com/2021/09/scott-launches-the-all-new-patron-eride/#post-12026581

which is great, is that you are assuming that bike companies do such things with their bespoke / IP “stuff” and that everyone has access to a 3d printer.

Neither has happened so far and whilst 3d printers are available at stores, the cost and the files to create bespoke parts isn’t and they all protect and file a court case pretty rapidly these days.

I hope you’re right but cannot see it.

James

All I can think (other than man that is ugly) is a vision of the future, walking into a Scott dealer “I’m looking for a spare integrated mount for a 2021 Scott Patron, do you have one in stock?” and then the shop assistant looking really, really worried.

All those bespoke parts scare me, not that it isn’t click but the spares in the future. Bad enough trying to get standard bits ….

James